Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “oppositio” come from?

oppositio (Latin) comes from French opposition, from Late Latin oppositio, from Latin oppono, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός, from Ancient Greek ὀβελός, from Ancient Greek βέλος — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

Ancestry of “oppositio”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchoppositionopposition
2Late Latinoppositioopposing, opposition
3LatinopponoI set against; I oppose
4Latinob-towards; against
5Latinobolusobolus
6Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
7Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
8Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
9Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
10Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →